Adjustable air blast heater for locomotives



May 13, 1931. o. H. sTQNE ET AL ADJUSTABLE AIR BLAST HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y um.

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BY j J 7M vATTORNEY May 19, 193i. o. H. STONE ET AL ADJUSTABLE AIRl BLAST HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee 2 INVENTRS l Z- l ATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES PATE oscAR nisroNE, on NEAR DAYTON, lAND DAVID A. COOPER, or nAY'roNQoHI'o ADJUSTABLE AIR BLAST .HEAT-ER. Fon LocoMoTivEs t Ap131iction-niea-cram1ary 18, y1930.

This invention' relates to ynew and usefuly improvements in adjustable air blast heaters for locomotives.- j f g l j l Itis one of Vthe principall objects of our' Q invention to 'provide-for the flreboXes of locomotives, an adjustable air blast device.

VAnother object of our invention is to'provide means controlled byfa lever in the cab.

of the engine 'for moving theair blast device to its properposition within the lire box for a'heavy or a shallow lire. f

` By supplying heated airto the top of the coal as required, fuel economy, b'etter combustion, less smoke, and other vadvantages 15 result. Y

V'Other important and incidental objects j will be brought outin the followingspeci- 'cation and particularly vset forth in thesubjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating our invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional vvie'w taken through a locomotive rejboX, showing f our adjustable` airA blast tubes and raising means therefor Figure 2 is alateral sectiontak'en through'the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof.' Figure'i is a longitudinal sectionaly view `taken through one of the air blast tubes. "Figure 5 is a top plan view of oneof said tubes.' And A30 Figure Gis a bottoni plan view. thereof.

Referringlto the accompanying drawings 'illustrating our invention," theYA numeral 1 designates ay conventional klocomotive firebo'x 'containin'ga series offgrate 'barsf 2. 'Each a5 grate bar is formed at its ends with ycyl'i'n'- drical projectionsz 3, 3 whichV are received by semi-circular depressions in through bars 4 `secured to theends of the lire box` 1. Pro

jecting downwardly from the central por- '40 tionsv ofthe grate bars2 arearms 5 that are pivotally connected at Atheir lower ends to a longitudinally movable bar '65T The latter issecured at its outerjend to ari-operating lever ,7 *fulcrumed on a-bracketl 8 sei e5 cured to the lire box.`v`

' A shaker bar '(not'shown) is adapted to be applied to the Y'lever 7 for the' purpose'o oscillating the grates 2 to releasethe ashes from the irebed Qupo'n thernij (See Figd 'tires l and-2.) f -1 rtions lwith oppositely disposed semi-circular over the top surface ofthe irebed 9.: 'These 'holes are formed inthe sides of the tubes 'to the lire.

serial No. 421,837.

proper combustion of the fuel'thereon, 'and thereby to obtain great-fuel economy and heating efficiency, with less smoke, we-provide the following adjustable air blast device.V Onreach 4side of the central through bar 4. the adjacent edges of somev 'of the grate bars 2 are formed at their middle porrece'ss'es 10 to provide holes through which vertically adjustable air tubes' 11 project.

` to the top of the fire bed 9 to promote the 4 Although we Vshow six ofy these tubes the accompanying drawings, Va greater or; less Y number of them maybe providedaccording to'thercubiccapacityf of the fire' box; Y y

Each tube 1-1, which isV constructed of suitableV metal, is formedy with ja 'conical 'or other pointed head 12. f (See Figuresy lland `Such a head permits the tubetom'bev 70 5.) easily projected through the irebed. 1 v

Formed in'ea'ch tube"k11 'immediately be'- low its top circular edge 18 are radial air holes 14' which project heated air laterally 11 for the purpose of better promoting the combustion of the fuel, since air discharged vertically fromV `them would rvtend to'pafss 1 upwardly without imparting 4much, oxygen On thel lower end-ofeach tube llfthei'e 'is a *disc bottom formedwith a central "hole 16'and vtwoV op ositelyy disposedfse'mi# circular side holes 1 17; (SeeFigures'fl y and' 6.7) VProjecting upwardly-through the hole 16 inthe bottom of eachtube' 11',' is an Vaxial air pipe 18, which discharges air under 'pressure into the tube. Y The lower ends of the` pipes 1,8 are connected below theirrespective tubes 11,to a sectional, horizontal supplyl'tube'19. "The section vice, -is ofv smaller diameter than the section I (See Figure 1.)v VThis tubing 22 is ccnnectedto an airjgcom'pressor (not shown) for supplying air'under Vpressure tothetubes n 2Ok ofthe tube 19, being -farthest from the operatingl end of the de- 11 that are raised and lowered i by the following means.

Referring to igures 1 and 2, there is secured to the lower ends of the three tubes 11 in each long row, a fiat connecting bar 23. Above the latter there is connected to both ends of the lower portion of the fire box 1 a fixed guide 24 containing holes 25 through which the tubes 11 freely project'. (See Figures 1 and 4.)

Each connecting bar 23 is formed withtwo horizontal slots 26, 26,7one on each side of the central tube 11. Projecting through the right hand slot 26 from an inclined bar 27 is a pin 28. The outer end of this bar 27 is hingedly connected by a pin V29 to a bracket member-30 secured to the front wall ofthe lower portion of the lire box 1.

Formed in the free end of the bar 2,7 is a longitudinalslot 31 which receives a doublerwashered pin 32 that also passes through a similar slot 33 in the lower inclined end ofk a lever 34. Projecting into the left hand slot 26 of the connecting Vbar 23, from the slotted end of the lever 34, is a pin 35, which, like the pin 28, has secured to ittwo washers v36 to properly guide the pin, without fric tion, in its longitudinal movement through the slot.

The lever 34is fulcrumed on a pin 37 secured to a bracket 38 on the lower portion of the tire box 1. The outer part of the lever 34 is bent upwardly for projection into the cab (not shown) above it for operation by the fireman.

When the fireman exerts an outward pull upon the upper end of the lever 34, which crosses in scissor fashion the bar 27, both the latter and the lower end of the lever Willraise the Vconnecting bar 23 through their slot and pin connection to it. The elevation of the bar 23 will in turn raise the tubes 11 toa level where air will be discharged laterally from the holes 14 upon the fire. bed 9. Thisair comprises that which is deliveredcunder pressure into lthe tubes 11 by the pipes 18, andV atmospheric air which is drawn into said tubes by suction through the holes 17 in their bottom portions 15.

In its passage throughthose portions of the tubes 11 which are in direct contact with the fire bed 9, the air introduced to the lire bed is heated, but not to a 'degree where it will lose its power to promote the complete combustion of the gases inthe fire box.

Being under pressure, which can be varied, the airV that enters the tubes 11 from the air compressor can be increased ordiminished according to the fuel required for the generation 0f steam.

The height of the apertured top portions of the tubes v11 above the fire bed Qcan also be easily varied by the lever 34 t0 promote, the Pieper embusteli ef .the tuel. If the -be distilled off.

Therefore, it behooves a fireman, if he desires to reduce his labor and at the same time obtain a clean hot lire, to so distribute the coal over the surface of the grates that all of the tubes will project a uniform distance above the fuel bed, whereupon banks that result in uneven firing will not be formed. i

By promoting at all times a thorough combustion of the fuel in the fire box, our

device insures a thin, `clean lire from which no black smoke or clinkers result.

Our air blast means are kparticularly advantageous when the locomotive is mounting a grade, since additional air can be introduced to the iire bed at the beginning of the grade by a further opening of the air compressor valve. 34 at the same time, the tubes 11 can be raised a proper distance above the level of the additional coal added to the fire to evenly distribute the additional air to it.

steam pressure at all times, with a clean, clear fire, that is intensifiedy or lessened according to the grades encountered. This alsoresults in fuel economy and the preven- Vtion of smoke.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1.` In a locomotive fire box including a series of grate bars mountedv adjacent each other to support a bed of fuel, tubes formed with air discharge holes in their upper ends, vertically movable through said grate bars and fuel bed, lever means for adjusting said tubes to bring their air discharge ends a desired distance above the fuel bed, and means for delivering air under pressure to said tubes. j

2. In a locomotive fire box lincluding a series of grate bars mounted adjacent each other to support a bed of fuel, tubes formed with air dischargeholes in their upper ends, vertically movable through said grate bars and fuel bed, means for deliveringair under `pressure to said tuloeS,y aV horizontal bar connected to the lower ends of said tubes, and

-a lever pivot-ally secured to said bar for raising said tubes, in unison to bring their air discharge ends a desired distance above the fuel bed'for the planes@ Specified? 595 By operating the lever i Thus, it is possible to mamtaln a uniform izo series of grate bars mountedy adjacent each other to support a bed of fuel, tubes formed with air discharge holes in their upper ends, vertically movable through said grate bars and fuel bed, means for delivering air under pressure to said tubes, a horizontal bar connected to the lower ends of said tubes, a pair of members pivotally secured to said fire boX,said members being slidably connected to each other at their free ends` and to the connecting bar at their middlev portions, and

ra lever handle extension on one* of said members. Y

4. In a locomotive ire box including a series of grate bars mounted adjacent each other to support a bed of fuel, tubes formed with air discharge holes in their upper ends vertically movable through saidgrate bars and fuel bed, means for delivering air under pressure to said tubes, a horizontal bar connected to the lower ends of said tubes, a pair of inclined rods pivotally secured to said fire boX, said rods having a slot and pin connection at their free ends below. the connecting bar with which they also have a slot and pin connection, and a lever handle extension on one of said bars.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this v16th day of January, 1930.

. OSCAR I-I. STONE,

DAVID A. COOPER. 

